Many types of transportation systems have been proposed and used in endeavoring to provide an effective means for producing a method of conveying passengers and items from one place to another. Previously, this type of system has been limited to conveyers, electrified roadways and guidewire systems.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention, however the following U.S. Patents are considered related:
______________________________________ U.S. PAT. NO. INVENTOR ISSUED ______________________________________ 4,139,071 Tackett 13 February 1979 4,726,299 Anderson 23 February 1988 4,884,202 Ogawa, et al 28 November 1989 4,902,948 Sherman, et al 20 February 1990 4,952,578 Tsuneda 28 August 1990 ______________________________________
Tackett in U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,071 teaches an electrified roadway having a method of transmitting an electrical current through the road surface to vehicles operated thereupon. The vehicle tires are electrically conductive and through sliding contacts transmit the electrical energy to the propulsion system of the vehicle. Fluid energy supplies the motive power and batteries store the electrical energy obtained from the roadway and also pads while the vehicle is parked.
U.S. patent issued to Anderson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,299 discloses a network with a number of stations interconnecting path segments. Branch points connect the segments and are directed in a first or second direction. Coordinates of a destination station are associated with the vehicle and select the appropriate route in the network to ultimately reach the desired location.
Ogawa, et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,202 utilize a driverless vehicle steered by a program in a data recorder. The vehicle plays back the data causing a signal to determine the position of the steering. Any steering position error is adjusted to duplicate and keep the actual steering position substantially similar to the representative signal from the data recorder.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,948 of Sherman, et al discloses a guidance system for directing unmanned vehicles along guidewires. Data communication circuits provide an extensive network with a traffic control computer which allocates resources and commands to the vehicles. At varying time intervals, status is received by the computer which temporarily stores messages of other vehicles. Data transmitters utilize cosine waveforms converted into sine waveforms with low or high impedance imposed on the guidewires.
The United States patent issued to Tsuneda U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,574 presents a conveyer system having a rail and automotive cart. The cart is electrically driven obtaining energy from the rail. Signals are transmitted and received through the rail for starting, stopping and travel using a magnetic sensor and electromagnets. Pole plates are positioned along the conveyor rail at appropriate positions for breaking control.